Chapter 2

When I got home, the table was already set with all the food she'd made.

Half the dishes were my favorites. The other half were my father's.

She smiled when she saw me.

"You're home. The pie is almost ready."

And then a trace of bitterness crept into her smile.

"Your father is working late tonight, though. He can't make it home for dinner."

Watching her struggle to smile made my eyes sting.

My father had kept up the act so well all these years.

He worried about my mother's stomach, so he had breakfast ready for her every morning.

When I was in high school, he worried that the pressure was too much for me. He put his career on hold to stay by my side for an entire school year.

Just a few days ago, my mother had happily told me she wanted them to spend their 30th anniversary on an island somewhere.

There would never be a 30th anniversary.

Those 20 happy years suddenly felt like nothing but an illusion he'd created for us.

She reached over to wipe my face, looking heartbroken. Only then did I realize I was crying.

"What is it? Selina, did something happen?"

I bit my lip. It took me a long time to get the words out. "I saw... I saw Dad cheating on you."

She went completely still and stared at me in disbelief.

"What are you saying? Really? This... this is a joke, isn't it?"

I slowly handed her my phone.

"There's a video on it. Watch it.

"I saw them at the costume parade. He was kissing her.

"And he said she's the one he loves most.

"For wolves, that's the worst betrayal there is. Mom, we can't forgive him for this!"

Her hands shook as she took the phone. Then she covered her mouth.

"How can this be happening? How can it be her?"

I caught her as she swayed. Confused, I asked, "What is it, Mom? Do you know this she-wolf?"

My mother nodded.

"Her name is Sylvia Kemp. Years ago, when she was about to be fired, I helped her. I sent business her way and helped her become a manager.

"Her company is the one Elias is working with now.

"And I was the one who introduced them ten years ago..."

She covered her face and couldn't stop crying.

All I could do was put my arms around her and give her something to hold on to.

For as long as I could remember, my mother had been careful never to hurt my father's pride.

When people said he wasn't smart, she helped him earn a master's degree in finance and never once mentioned her own two doctorates.

When people said he was too weak, she learned to cook and studied nutrition until he was as strong as an average wolf.

When people said he'd married up, she taught him how to run a company, step by step, so others would praise him as a self-made wolf.

Back then, she'd kept working through her pregnancy to land his company's biggest deal yet.

In the end, she collapsed from exhaustion.

My father knelt by her hospital bed, holding her hand, his face full of regret.

"I don't want a company, money, or status. I only want you.

"This is my fault. You've been through all this because of me.

"I swear to the Moon Goddess that I will never betray your love."

When my mother used to tell that story, her eyes would fill with tears, her voice full of love.

Now a single video had shattered all that so-called devotion.

I didn't know how much time had passed when a ringtone broke the silence.

My mother wiped her face and answered.

My father's voice was warm. "Sorry, love, I can't make it home tonight. There are still things to prepare for tomorrow's press conference.

"You must both be tired. Don't come to the event tomorrow. Stay home and rest."

My mother looked at me, unsure what to say to him.

I lifted my phone and showed her everything my grandfather's assistant had sent over.

She looked down and answered quietly, "All right. Understood."

When she hung up, I held her tight and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll make them pay at tomorrow's press conference."